


Infinite

by SinMint



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Apollo is emotional and a good daddy, Day 2, Gen, Happy Ending, M/M, Percico Positivity Project, Percico Positivity Week, Poseidon has to make sacrifices
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-09 19:14:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7813837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinMint/pseuds/SinMint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>And they spent their eternity together as they had planned, Percy playing the tunes while Nico gave him all the love they both deserved. Happy till the end of time itself. Death had never separated them. It had only brought them closer. So close that all the gods would have sworn that since that day forwards, they were both infinite.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Infinite

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely based on a Greek mythology I love so much, the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. Percy is Orpheus and Nico is Eurydice here. I've made some drastic tweaks here and there so that this is an original story as well as major parts of the true tale. I have not read the true tale, though, only heard of the story, but I absolutely love the calm nature Orpheus implies that is so much different than most greek heroes like Perseus, Achilles, Theseus, blah blah blah and I swear their love is just so pure and inspiring!  
> Enjoy!

~Prologue~

Poseidon had fled with his child, his heart heavy with the stench of the ashes of his beloved. He despised Zeus with a passion, but now it was burning in rage. The tempestuous seas parted before his wrath, taking him straight to the Island he had envisioned in his mind. The island of Delos. Apollo’s birthplace and abode.

He had handed his son over to Apollo, with great grief of separation the moment his arms were no longer touching his child. However, he knew that he was doing the right thing. Apollo had been ecstatic to be a foster father, having adored children for so long but still mourning over Hyacinthus and Daphne, and understood his own father’s ruthless injustice when it came to the sons of his brothers.

He had gladly accepted the little baby in the bundle of seaweed, a tuft of lone black hair on his forehead and tan skin like his father. He had been no larger than a small rock, looking utterly despicable and vulnerable in his infant state. Apollo had cradled him, then turning to a surprisingly watery eyed Poseidon.

“I, Phoebus Apollo, promise you, uncle, that I will nourish him as one of my own, love him and bring him no less than one of my own blood’s. I will fulfill my duty as his foster father and do what is best for him. And I am eternally thankful that you have trusted me enough to take care of your son, who is truly powerful. You have given me a person I can truly love, and for that I will be forever in your debt.”

Poseidon had smiled heavily “You have fulfilled your debt by agreeing to take care and to hide my beloved son. I will ensure that I wouldn’t have to see him to reduce his risk of mortal threat, though it greatly saddens me. I hope he grows up to be a good lad.”

“That, he will,” Apollo had smiled, his eyes for a moment turning into his prophetic-green ones, and Poseidon knew that what Apollo was speaking was something out of a prophecy. He had smiled sadly and kissed the forehead of his son fondly, a tear rolling down his cheek and on to the earth, where a brilliant sapphire flower bloomed out of the earth.

With a swish of the wind, he was gone.

~Prologue end~

Perseus Jackson. He was nothing but a mortal, a normal boy with shimmering jet black hair and blue-green eyes. And his father was Poseidon, he knew as much. He was a son of the big three, a demigod capable of many great things, yet choosing a quiet life. Like his father’s realm, he had many turbulent and calm experiences through life. But most of it was under the guidance of Apollo.

He had been granted to Apollo when he was only an infant, when his mother was murdered. Apollo had told him how beautiful and lovely his mother had been, yet he did not miss her as he had not met with the woman. He only knew and adored Apollo, who had loved him greater than he had loved his own lovers. Apollo had brought him up, laughing with him, supporting him when he was crying, sometimes even crying with him, but never unwavering from his life. Like a constant support etched on rock.

Apollo had attempted to teach him many things, like archery (which Perseus could not master for the sake of his life) or Singing (in which he was no less than godawful). However, one thing Apollo prided on him more than ever was his ability to play a harp. He was often clumsy, but with his tenderness and talent with a Harp, even Apollo was surprised. Phoebus Apollo, the god of Music itself, would often find himself mesmerized with the rapt music which Perseus used to play on his harp. He greatly boasted of his son’s ability to play, and told Poseidon fascinating tales of the son of the sea, which would make Poseidon bloom with pride and joy.

Perseus thus used to wander around the forests he greatly adored (since the high-headed king of gods believed that the son of Poseidon was long dead) and often was followed by the nymphs who had been entranced by his soulful, spellbinding music. The rumors soon spread about his great ability. Many people all over the world used to reach out to him, wanting and desiring to listen for one the music that would only so often left them dazed, but the son of the sea didn’t like to be the center of attention. He would often wander by trickling streams and sit on the dew-soft grass to play for himself.

Perseus longed to control the water, to feel the liquid bending to his will with the power that flowed through his veins, but he did not want to be exposed. That would surely be the end of him. He, however, would sink his bare feet into the water and feel the cool liquid cascading between his toes.

A thing he was constantly irked with was the nymphs running after him, the ones enraptured by his beauty and his talent for music. They would often dress with large sexual parts of themselves exposed to woo him, but he had never liked the notion of being in love with one of them.

However, one day when he was sitting amidst the long ebony trees with a calcium-blue iridescent lake between them, surrounded by white sand. This was one of his favorite places, with peace, tranquility and the lingering feeling of love as there were no nymphs (Ebony trees were often so dark no nymph could survive here beyond three seconds). He sat and played his harp for hours, wanting nothing more than to get lost in the river of tunes.

However, when he opened his eyes, there was a fair lad looking at him with curiosity, his hair messy and quite long. The boy was wearing a black chiton, which matched his ebony hair and dark eyes. However, his skin was a stark contrast to the color. It was as if the boy was de-saturated, leaving only black and white.

However, he had never seen a creature as beautiful as him, for the boy looked so precious and rare and his beguiling eyes which begged to be lost into. Perseus, for the first time in his life, felt the need to love someone, to capture that boy in his arms and hold him, to keep him as his own. HE blinked twice to get out of his trance, but the longer he looked the more he was struck with the beauty of what was before him.

“What might your name be?” The boy asked, and Perseus was genuinely (and pleasantly) surprised to have come across a youth who did not know his name. at last he could be with someone who wasn’t a god or worshipping him instead.

“Perseus Jackson, and yours?”

“Nico. Nico di Angelo, lone nymph of the ebony trees.”

Perseus was generally surprised! An ebony nymph!

“I reckoned that ebony nymphs don’t exist.”

“Except me, then, I suppose,” The boy replied, now sitting next to Perseus with his feet down in the water too “It gets a little lonely sometimes. I do not get visitors here. The first person I’ve met is you,”

“I get you,” Perseus replied “People are so entranced by my fame that many a times why forget that I am a person.”

“Maybe we could be friends, then,” Suggested the nymph, smiling at him, and Perseus’ heart stuttered a beat. When was he the one to fall in love so easily?

“yes, we could be friends.”

It was, though, hardly a week before they got together as lovers. They had come to a silent agreement to sit at the same place every evening, where they got to know each other, and if possible falling in love with the other with each passing moment. One could have said that they were love at first sight, they were so pure. Their love-making had started not a month after, and both of them had been the happiest people alive.

xXx

“Percy,” Drawled Nico, for such was the name he had so adoringly given his lover. They were walking down the road to the coast of Lesbos, off the shore of whom lay the island on which ‘Percy’ had apparently been brought up.

“Do not worry or hesitate, Nico,” Percy smiled “Apollo is not the one to kill. He loves me.”

“I sure do hope so,” Nico said, nervously biting a leaf. Percy smiled genuinely before he took a boat to Delos. The waters were calm and lovely, the sun shining high and Percy couldn’t stop staring into Nico’s lovely beaming eyes.

“You need not worry, Nico. You think too much. If I can get my foster-father to grant you mobility from your roots, then I can as well prove my love to him. he would understand.” Percy smiled, but Nico only nodded.

Percy thought the trip was too quick, how much too soon he had to step out into the lush grass of Delos and into his abode. His home. He was thankful nevertheless. Apollo greeted him with a large hug, his blonde hair shining radiantly like the sun and his blue eyes clear as day. He beamed down at him, with a smile a notch too bright.

“So, this is your lover?” His crystal eyes fell on Nico in acceptance “He sure does look lovely. A bit on the undernourished side, but lovely nevertheless. Truly, son, I am happy for you.”

“See, I told you,” Percy laughed, extracting himself from his father’s hug.

“Nico di Angelo. pleased to meet you, my lord,” Nico bowed, but Apollo just laughed “No need for the formalities!”

Apollo then gushed to kiss both of Nico’s cheeks, who blushed “Dear boy! What am I going to do with the both of you! You two are already so grown and lovely! Children grow up too fast,”

Nico chuckled “I won’t know that,”

“Oh, yes,” Apollo said sadly, but then nodded “You will be staying over for some time, I presume?”

“Yes,” Nico confirmed, looking over to a mortified Percy and smiling slightly “If you want me to,”

“Oh, of course I do want you to! You are adorable! My son has nice taste, I’d say!”

“Father, stop embarrassing me,” Percy groaned, now positively red “And don’t hog him, he’s mine!”

“Of course son,” Apollo laughed again and winked at Nico, before proceeding to pick up his abandoned bow and arrows “I am going for archery practice. I’ll be back in an hour or two. Make yourself at home.”

xXx

Percy and Nico were just sitting on the grass, both of them speaking in hushed tones despite the isolation they had and both of them brimming with love. Percy played his harp alongside, a beautiful tone which reminded one of love, birds and meadows. Nico looked curiously at a shimmering blue flower glowing under the rays of the sun “What is that?”

“A flower. . .I don’t know what it is, but it’s been there since as long as I can remember,” Percy reached out and plucked it. The moment he had touched that, a sudden thought arched through him. a feeling of wrongness, and of doom. His toes curled and he felt, all of a sudden, terrified.

“What happened?” Asked Nico concernedly, and all of the feeling left Percy in a spark. He smiled breathily and examined the flower. “nothing,”

“okay. . .” Nico said, but his eyes floated to the flower “It looks pretty, but it does not have a nymph. I wonder why.”

“I don’t know, nor do I care. But I would say that you look pretty like this,” Percy grinned as he tucked the flower in Nico’s dark hair, over his ears. Nico’s cheeks reddened and he gave Percy a bashful smile “thank you,”

xXx

Somewhere on Olympus high above, the clouds greyed and crackled with electricity, low grumbling sounds echoing the King’s gritting teeth. Zeus was absolutely, utterly and completely furious.

When he had killed the mortal, he had calculated that the boy would’ve died with her infant. That _dirty, defiling_ son of his _brother._ However, today when someone touched a flower, he noticed the most primal tugging sensation in his guts, a feeling he knew only too well. Not only had Poseidon successfully hidden his boy, his own son had accepted to raise the child!

He knew he had to make them pay. And he also knew for a fact that both the gods loved Perseus more than any other mortal. He could not destroy Poseidon or Apollo, for doing so to a god was far more effort than what was worth it, and it added to the possible division of power that would likely take place if he attempted such a thing.

And contrary to popular belief, he isn’t stupid (A/N: *snort* *snort*)

So he just needed to dispose of the mortal, and the rest of the gods would be falling into the void of grief. Zeus thus called upon a serpent, one of his slaves. A serpent would do the work quite nicely. Venomous, lithe, discreet. Just what he needed. And He wanted the Poseidon-spawn dead. And, when he wanted something, he got it.

Being the king had its own advantages.

xXx

Perseus Jackson was strolling through the forest again. He was overjoyed, playing his heart out on his Lyre. Nico had finally accepted to be betrothed to him. They would soon have their marriage. Oh, wasn’t it the best feeling of his life! He would now settle in with Nico in a peaceful place, where people would dance and sing to his music, where Nico would beam at him day in and day out till wrinkles faded to lifelessness and blacks bleached to whites. He had planned them both growing old together, falling in love to the last.

Nico was currently walking with some friends of his, trying to spend as much time roaming the world now that he was free from the bind of his roots. Percy was genuinely happy for Nico, really. He had never seen the now grown man look so happy.

 _Perseus!_ A voice screeched, and Percy skidded to a halt. Where had the voice come from? He turned around various times, and finally his eyes rested upon a magnificent horse-fish hybrid. It’s skin shimmered and glowed in various colors like a rainbow, and Percy had yet to see an animal as beautiful as it.

Percy rushed to it, petting his muzzle fondly, but the animal’s frenzied eyes seemed elsewhere, _Nico has been bitten by a snake! He’s been asking for you!_

“What!” Percy said all of a sudden, comprehending fully what was spoken by the what he assumed to be a hippocampus “Take- can you take me to him? right now? Please!”

 _Yes_ , the animal breathed, and without a preamble Percy clambered on to his back, his golden harp lying forgotten on the grass. His thoughts raced faster than the sprinting hippocampi, and he prayed desperately to all gods to spare Nico’s life. He was there within what seemed like a few moments as well as a lifetime. He ungracefully scampered to where the Hippocampi had described Nico to be, only to see a flock of nymphs muttering loudly.

“MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY FOR ME!” Screamed Percy, and the crowd parted wordlessly for him. he rushed to the body lying on the ground, two bleeding pores all too obvious on the boy’s ankle. Nico’s eyes were closed and he was unmoving. His skin had already acquired a deathly pallor and his body was cooling rapidly. But percy refused to believe. He clutched the wrist of his beloved, desperate for a pulse. One of his fingers stayed near his nostrils, prickling for just a puff of breath, but to vain.

“APOLLO!” wailed Percy “Apollo! God of medicine and healing! I call you to help me, your son, please!”

Apollo appeared there with the blink of an eye, running to Percy in concern “Son, what happene- oh. Oh, dear, what on Styx happened to your lover! Nico!”

“I, he was bitten by a snake,” Sobbed Percy harder “Do something, please. I’m begging you. I cannot live without him. my existence would be fruitless and aimless without him, for he is the beacon of my life. Please, Apollo.”

Apollo crouched Next to Percy, his eyes critically examining the two puncture wounds on Nico’s foot and his fingers fiddling just below his neck.

“I cannot… sorry to break it to you, love, but I cannot revive Nico. It is beyond me.”

xXx

Up on his throne, Zeus smirked darkly. The serpent had failed him, bitten the wrong person, yet it had the desired effect. Zeus hated the sudden malice he felt towards the boy, but he shouldn’t have allowed a progeny of his brother gain so much fame in the first place! And now, taking away his one true love, the boy would reduce to nothing but a husk. What despicable mortals, they are!

xXx

Apollo watched with miserable sadness as Percy grieved his lost lover, cradling the body into his arms. Percy’s hand clutched Nico’s chin, clasping his inanimate mouth to his and clashing their lips. Percy kissed Nico more passionately than he had ever done in his life, but wept into Nico’s face as he received no response. The body was now ice-cold and dead. Percy opened Nico’s eyelids, hoping to see just an ounce of recognition, but flinched at the unseeing orbs devoid of life. The ones that had been so lovely.

The nymphs left one by one, until the warmth of the sun bled into the night and coldness seeped into Percy’s bones. Apollo was still there, grateful at Artemis to take care of his responsibility for once. Artemis was also the goddess of fertility, as well as maidenhood, so it ultimately led to her indirect participation in the field of love. She thus understood Perseus’ grievances.

Apollo supported Percy the whole night, rocking him like he had used to do a long time ago. He was reminded of how torn he was when he had lost Hyacinthus. So sympathizing Percy wasn’t hard. He understood what Percy felt, so instead of using common phrases like ‘you’ll get over it,’ or ‘he’ll want you to move on,’, he instead whispered “Go to Hades. Take your Harp.”

Apollo knew that there’d be no moving on in Perseus’ life. Apollo himself was an immortal, the one who has the courage to let go and move on simply because their lovers would, tragedy or no, never live long considering their lifespan. But he had raised Perseus from when the boy had been a wee little child to the famous person he was now, so he knew the guy inside and out. Percy loved Nico, the kind of true love you only experience once in a lifetime. Perseus loved Nico and Nico did love Perseus back. it was a truly beautiful thing, looking at the two star-crossed lovers.

Apollo also knew that Zeus had sent the serpent, for the godly traces led back to him. oh, why had he been careless? He had promised Poseidon he would do the best for Perseus, to hide him, yet he had failed. A father would never want to see his son lost the will of living.

Apollo summoned his sister, as well as Aphrodite, Poseidon himself, Eros, and various other gods he deemed needed. After all, he would not let Perseus drown in his grief. One thing he knew a father does, was that he never lets his son down.

xXx

Perseus was ready as he ever was, his bronze armor ready but unneeded, his golden harp back in its place in his arms and his eyes burning with something akin to fiery passion and hope. He was supported by various gods, who’d help him get to the underworld and retrieve Nico. ‘Just play your harp,’ Apollo had said.

Percy stepped into the dark chasm, his fingers automatically gliding over the strings as he played ‘ _their_ ’ tune. The one tune Nico had loved, the one describing the love of two inseparable lovers. And that was what Nico and Percy were, inseparable. Even death could not hold them apart.

And he watched in growing happiness how the creatures fell, enchanted by the melodic tunes falling in waves off Perseus’ lyre. He watched the hell-hounds sway, aria fall drowsily, the three furies unable to keep their hostile nature towards him as they (horrifyingly) start to dance to the tune too.

Percy now understood it. Apollo knew that his music was a weapon. Percy had the power to hypnotize minds with the beauty of his talent, of his emotion she represented through music. He felt more powerful, sinister even, with a might weapon in his hands. He did not need any bloodshed, or force. People swayed at his feet with the mere sound of his music!

His fingers bled, but he was smiling. He reached the gate of Hades’ castle, which the three-headed-dog, Cerberus, guarded. He too, the great beast he was, fell in tune with the strange sound. It wasn’t common for such pleasant tunes to ring in the underworld, so the dog did fall asleep to the merry sound, and Perseus will be forever known to mortals as the one who had tamed even the great untamable beast.

Hades was very nonplussed, finding a living being in his kingdom. He did despise mortals, but alive mortals in the underworld? What was taking a step too far!

Hades glared at who appeared to be a silly mortal with a harp “Yes?”

“I am Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, foster-son of Apollo and the weilder of the golden Harp-“

“I know who you are, and why you come here, nephew,” Hades said. Persephone was keening on the boy in interest; it wasn’t every day that a living soul managed to get into Hades’ castle. Percy held his chin high unwaveringly and held his uncle’s gaze.

“Then you might as well give me back Nico, for I believe that we do deserve that. Death cannot separate us.”

“I have heard a lot about you, little boy, and I would say that I’d love to listen to one of your oh-so-famous melodies, to see if they are truly as beautiful as people say. If and only if you manage to please me, I would, for the first time in my immortal life, grant you the permission to revive your lover.”

Percy, getting his cue, started playing, and it was the most beautiful music ever created in all of god-hood and humanity. The music was loud, that satyrs from Olympus bended to hear it better, and humans on the earth felt the vibrations step up their homes. All famous musicians stopped whatever they were doing to intently hear the entrancing piece of art. People in the streets became merry and jovial, yet somehow melancholy, for that was what the music symbolized. Percy pour all his heart into his fingers, which were cut and scraped and bleeding yet he poured all his anguish, hope, happiness and sadness into the work. It was the longest piece he had ever composed, as well as beautiful.

Hades was happy. He had never heard such fantastic, enticing music ever. And he was not a god to be pleased easily. He granted Percy the permission to take Nico home.

“Take him home, nephew. Nico’s ghost will follow you through your path, silent as shadow. No monster will either aid or obstruct your road, but one thing I must warn you of, don’t look back. You must have patience. If you do, however, look back, Nico will be carried back to Elysium,” Had been his precise words.

And so Percy had departed, an uneasy feeling in his chest that longed for him to turn and see for once if Nico was really following him. Hades wasn’t known for his honesty. What if this was a trick? However, he had to keep up the courage and determination.

Finally, after a nerve-wracking, dead silent day of walking they reached the entrance, where sunlight was visible, when Percy finally had the urge to just check. _Once_. It would be enough.

Percy turned, but the liver of second seemed to slow down as Nico’s ethereal face swam into view and then he was sucked off into ether.

“Wait,” Percy was breathless, his heart shattering into a million pieces. Not this close! “Wait! You- I- I completed it! It was just a glance! Please give me another chance.”

And tears popped up on the corners of his eyes anew. Hades appeared, giving him a small, sad smile and telling him that no mortal soul could enter the underworld twice, not even if Hades wanted to.

xXx

Percy henceforth led a soulless life, his fingers splaying across the instrument. He was as beautiful as always, but not on the inside. he had withered up to a sad existence. Only his music was the symbol of his heart still beating and life still in his blood, which had now taken a darker turn. All he could create was of sadness, melancholy and anguish. He would compose long, slow strings of music that made people cry, or beat their chests about the unfairness of the world. It was beautiful, the grief of separated love.

Perseus was sitting on a stone, unaware of Poseidon watching him sadly from the sea, unaware of Apollo crying on the shoulder of the sea god, for he was the god of Prophecy and he knew what was going to happen. And oh, did they both love Percy so much, and it tore and clawed at their hearts to see him so desolate, anguished, but know that they could do nothing for him. Poseidon’s blood in his veins that he never knew the true extent of, never knew what power he held over the sea. And Apollo’s unconditional, eternal love that burned for him as fervently as the sun, for the god had raised him like one of his own. And letting go had never been easy.

They both knew that Percy deserved better, and that he’d get better, but as they watched the musician finish his last song with a note that made them both teary-eyed, they turned away. After all, they were immortals and Percy was not, and no matter how great he had been Percy would never be because he wasn’t a son of Zeus.

Apollo and Poseidon took one last look at the son they would never truly move on from, and then disappeared without a word.

 

Meanwhile, oblivious, Percy sighed heavily. In the distance a ballad of women were shrieking, who had too much wine and were now doing acts unconsciously. The mob was angry, angry on Percy who had not loved a woman. They were vengeful, wanting to keep the boy with the beautiful voice for themselves as they rushed to the boy, tearing him apart in their desperate selfish needs.

Percy had accepted his fate a long time ago.

xXx

Apollo still looked up to the golden lyre in the sky, and his face shined with happy tears. his son was happy, and that was all a father ever wanted, ever ambitioned.

And he hadn’t failed.

xXx

However, as Percy walked into the isles of the blessed, for that was what awaited him, he saw the shining face of his lover. Nico smiled breathlessly, and they both embraced for it had been a long time since they had done so. Percy then, after much days of sadness, smiled and kissed his lover.

And they spent their eternity together as they had planned, Percy playing the tunes while Nico gave him all the love they both deserved. Happy till the end of time itself. Death had never separated them. It had only brought them closer. So close that all the gods would have sworn that since that day forwards, they were both infinite.

**Author's Note:**

> My dad was absolutely livid at me so I had to wrap up the last few parts pretty quick and post them hastily up here to post it in time. I will probably go through this tomorrow, so sorry for all typos, mistakes, bad grammar and plotholes if any!


End file.
